The Firehouse Five Plus Two made their recording debut--for Good Time Jazz--in 1949. On the occasion of their 20th anniversary, marked by this session, leader Ward Kimball estimated, with his tongue firmly in cheek, “that we've played the ‘Muskrat Ramble’ at least 1,470 times. Personally, I’ve used maybe eighteen jars of cold cream for my trombone slide and have gone through twelve or 13 red fire shirts.” For this landmark session, the irrepressible septet, temporarily numbering eight, selected comparatively new material--most written during the group’s first two decades. Producer Lester Koenig noted at the time that the Firehouse Five Plus Two was “still the happiest band around, with all the high spirits, energy and enthusiasm which made it world famous.”